At least 21,807 foreign refugees and asylum seekers who fled violence in neighbouring countries are currently living in Nigeria without formal registration, leaving them unable to access food, healthcare and other essential humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed that majority of the unregistered population are Cameroonians who escaped the protracted conflict in the country’s Anglophone North-West and South-West regions.
Overall, Nigeria is hosting about 127,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 41 countries, but more than one in six remain outside the official system.
Of this total, 80,915 are recognised refugees, while over 25,000 are asylum seekers whose claims are still being processed by Nigerian authorities.
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The remaining 21,807 people are yet to be registered at all by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).
An analysis of UNHCR’s monthly dashboards shows that the registration backlog has remained high over the past year, reflecting the pace at which people continue to cross into Nigeria to escape violence.
In December 2024, 21,095 refugees were awaiting registration. By June 2025, the number had surged to 32,750, representing a 55 per cent increase in just six months, before falling again to 21,807 by November.
The March 2025 had recorded 20,997 unregistered refugees, indicating that new arrivals continue to outstrip the government’s ability to process them.
For those trapped in this backlog, the consequences are severe as unregistered refugees are not eligible for UNHCR-supported food stipends, cash assistance, health insurance schemes, shelter support or other humanitarian services, forcing many to depend on overstretched host communities or informal coping strategies.
A field official familiar with the registration process said shortages of personnel, insecurity and logistics have slowed down enrolment, especially in frontline states.
“Registration can take weeks or even months, depending on the state and the availability of NCFRMI personnel,” the official said, noting that Borno, Adamawa and Cross River, the main entry points for refugees from Cameroon and the Lake Chad region are the most affected.
UNHCR figures show that Cameroonians make up about 86 per cent of Nigeria’s refugee population approximately 119,208 people, as a result of the eight-year-old separatist conflict in the Anglophone regions.
Other refugee populations include 15,011 from Niger, 1,330 from Syria, 1,053 from the Central African Republic, and 598 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside smaller groups from several other countries.
Demographically, women and girls account for over half of the total refugee population, while children make up nearly 60 per cent, underscoring the vulnerability of those affected by the registration delays.
Most refugees live not in camps but within host communities across Cross River, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Benue and Adamawa States. Major cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Kano also host refugees of diverse nationalities, some of whom have been in Nigeria for more than a decade.
Nigeria operates an open-door asylum policy grounded in its commitments under the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1969 Organisation of African Unity Convention, which require countries to offer protection to people fleeing persecution and conflict.
The NCFRMI, working with the Nigerian Immigration Service and UNHCR, is responsible for registering asylum seekers and conducting Refugee Status Determination (RSD) procedures, which typically take three to six months.
Successful applicants receive refugee identity cards that grant access to work permits, education, and freedom of movement, while since 2019 some refugees have also been issued Convention Travel Documents for international travel.
During large influxes, however, individual assessments are often replaced with group recognition.
In 2024, Nigeria granted Temporary Protection Status to 86,000 Cameroonian refugees, valid until June 2027, while 20,000 Nigeriens in Damasak were given prima facie refugee status.
